Beginnings
by shiiki
Summary: Thinking about the way they met has Syaoran worrying over the memory. Sakura finds a way to lift him out of the mood.


_**A/N**__:This was inspired by the prompt '**Beginnings**' from the LiveJournal community __100memories. (Although that comm seems to be dead.) Much thanks to **saphirablossoms** for giving this a look over and reassuring this CCS fandom newbie!_

* * *

They were never going to let him forget it.

Li Syaoran groaned softly as Tomoyo, her voice deceptively light and gentle, answered a question from one of Sakura's other friends. 'Amusing stories about Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun? Of course I know lots of them.'

She looked round the room several times, making eye contact with many of the reception guests, but Syaoran kept his head down, pretending to find a spot on his hands very interesting as friends begged Tomoyo to spill.

She was the only one who knew everything, after all, right from the beginning, and Syaoran had no doubt she was going to use that arsenal of knowledge to her disposal now. And sure enough ...

'I remember the first time Sakura-chan met Syaoran-kun ...'

'I remember that too,' Syaoran's soon-to-be brother-in-law cut in with a half-growl. 'That gaki ...'

'Onii-chan!' To his right, Sakura reproached her brother, half-laughing. Her left hand found Syaoran's right and gave it a little squeeze: an apology. He returned it, his spirits lifted already -- she always had that effect on him.

'What?' retorted Toya. 'He _is_ a brat, stealing my most precious thing.'

'Onii-chan ...' Sakura repeated, but with a softness in her voice this time as she blushed at her brother's rare statement of affection for her.

'I knew he was trouble right from the beginning,' continued Toya, shaking his head. There was no real venom in his tone, however. Syaoran figured it was Sakura's brother's form of teasing -- the same way he constantly called Sakura a 'kaijuu' without really meaning it.

'Oh, but it was a different sort of trouble back then,' said Tomoyo cheerfully. Syaoran sighed. Here it came ... 'Why, Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan were such rivals then. And the first time they met, he tried to rob her!'

Laughter rang out around the table. Syaoran let his head drop onto his arms, feeling his cheeks flame up. Curious questions popped up from various friends -- 'Really?' 'What did he want to steal?'

'A family heirloom,' Tomoyo explained casually, and Syaoran resigned himself to listening to her recount the tale of his childhood indiscretion (glossing over the magical bits). Her story was punctuated, to Syaoran's dismay, by amused commentary from Yukito.

Sakura's father leaned across the table to whisper, 'What family heirlooms?' to Sakura. She giggled nervously, stealing a quick glance at Syaoran.

'Umm ... just -- nothing really, just some cards. Tomoyo-chan's -- umm -- embellishing.'

To be honest, it wasn't so much the teasing his friends and family bestowed upon him that Syaoran minded -- rather, it was the fact that each time they went over the past, he was reminded of how idiotic his ten-year-old self had been.

Not that he needed their assistance to prod his memory; even after more than ten years, it was hard to forget the way he'd tackled Sakura, with little concern for whether she'd be hurt. So rough. So cold. So full of disdain for a girl he'd thought weak and unworthy.

He wondered if she knew that each time he tried so hard to protect, warm, and comfort her was in part an attempt to make up for those disastrous early days when he in his ignorance had wounded her.

A hand fell lightly against the crown of his lowered head, smoothing his hair gently.

'It wasn't really his fault,' said Sakura firmly. 'He had as much right to those heirlooms as I did -- and I refused to give them to him.'

'Really?' asked one of Sakura's friends -- she had so many that it was difficult for him to keep them straight, especially when remembering names had never been a strength of his. 'Not covering up for him, are you?'

'Uun.' He knew without looking up that she was shaking her head forcefully. 'Syaoran-kun helped me a lot, too. He's always been so kind!'

It was so like her, to ignore the bad and treasure only the good. He couldn't help but feel warmth flare inside him at her words, at her reaffirmation that she thought he had good in him.

To think he had ever thought this virtue of hers a weakness! No doubt about it -- he'd been such a fool in the beginning. It'd taken months and months of Sakura and the friendship she patiently extended to slowly change that.

He really was so lucky to have her.

'It doesn't matter what he did when we first met. We still came to care for each other ... and I know he cares for me now, and he always will. Ne, Syaoran?'

He raised his head in surprise to hear her addressing him without the honorific -- something she never did in public.

'Aa,' he managed to stammer.

'I've known Sakura-chan for a very long time,' said Tomoyo, taking over and gracefully filling the awkward lull of silence. 'She's the sweetest, kindest, brightest person anyone could ever know --'

'No, that's you, Tomoyo-chan,' Sakura murmured, looking embarrassed.

'-- and the thing that makes me happiest is seeing her smile. So obviously, I really wanted whoever she found to always be able to make her happy. Sakura's right -- it may not have started that way, but Syaoran-kun makes her happy now, and that's what matters.'

There was a rumble of approval from the guests. Tomoyo smiled. 'To Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun.' She raised her champagne glass towards them, inclining her head. 'May their love always be this sweet ... and this strong.'

Her voice held no trace of bitterness or irony; her gaze finally alighted on Syaoran like an affirmation. He found himself giving her a brief nod -- a promise, or perhaps even a thank-you. No matter how much she teased, Tomoyo had still entrusted the person she loved most dearly in the world to him and generously wished them only happiness.

How could he not feel a rush of gratitude, and further motivation to always take good care of that special person?

Calls of 'Kampai!' rang out as everyone toasted their engagement. Sakura thanked everyone profusely, her cheeks a rosy red with delight. Syaoran let her carry on -- she was much better with dealing with people than he; anyway, the majority of the guests were here on her account. All of his family was still in Hong Kong -- they'd only come all the way to Japan for the actual wedding. Well, all his family save Meilin, who would have caused him serious bodily injury if he'd even dreamt of leaving her out of his engagement party. Anyway, she was Sakura's friend too.

'Syaoran!'

One would think he was used to her popping up and throwing her arms around him by now. She dragged him away from the table, where everyone was now standing to surround Sakura with their congratulations, to a corner of the large ballroom.

'I hardly had a chance to talk to you all night,' she pouted, finally releasing him and holding him at arm's length so that she could look him up and down. A frown crossed her face. 'You're looking so gloomy,' she accused him. 'What are you thinking about?'

His eyes strayed involuntarily to Sakura and her crowd of well-wishers and snapped back quickly once he realised what he was doing.

'Nothing in particular.'

Meilin pursed her lips at him, clearly unconvinced. 'Nothing my foot,' she grumbled, but fortunately, she didn't press the matter. 'So ... you finally got a ring on her finger. About time, too! You two have been dancing around each other for -- how long has it been now, ten years?'

_Eleven and three months_, Syaoran corrected mentally. Probably longer, too, because he hadn't really counted all the time he'd spent in love with her without knowing it.

'What a pair you make,' sighed Meilin with a dramatic shake of her head. 'You're so slow, and she's so dense ... I remember how Tomoyo-chan and I rigged up so many opportunities for you guys, but you just wouldn't take them. It was so frustrating!'

What, was even Meilin intent on reminiscing about the past too, tonight?

'Yeah, all right, we all know I made a mess of it in the beginning.'

She whirled on him, hands flying to his cheeks. 'Don't you go taking all the blame now,' she scolded, holding his face tightly as she always did when she had a stern order for him. 'She was just as bad as you. But now that you two have finally got your act together, make sure you hold on to what you have. Ne?'

'Meilin ...' People were starting to whisper and point.

'Ne?' Her grip tightened a fraction.

'Aa,' he sighed, and pried her hands away. 'Meilin, don't _do_ that; people are looking at us.'

'So? You just remember my promise.' She wagged her finger in his face. 'I won't forgive you if this doesn't work out!'

'That's harsh.' Tomoyo's melodious voice was easily distinguishable. 'It's good to see you, Meilin-chan.'

'Likewise.' Meilin grinned. 'Where's your video camera?'

'Oh, I have them rigged up around the room. The benefit of being in movie producing is learning all the new techniques so that I can catch even more of Sakura-chan's special moments on tape.'

'You're incorrigible, Tomoyo-chan.'

The laugh the two girls shared then was decidedly evil, Syaoran thought. He eased himself away from the pair as they began to exchange news -- he heard Meilin accepting Tomoyo's invitation to stay the night before he moved out of earshot of their conversation. That would keep her busy ... although he didn't think he'd mind company tonight. He didn't think he'd get a chance to be with Sakura after the party. Toya was still looking over her protectively; he had been doing so since Tomoyo had brought up that old memory of their first meeting.

Strange, really -- other guys he knew often worried about their girlfriends' fathers. For Syaoran, it was Sakura's brother who assumed the role of interrogating her boyfriend. Her father had always been perfectly affable.

'Syaoran-kun.'

As if in response to his mental cues, he turned to find the man in question greeting him. Syaoran hurriedly returned the bow.

'Fujitaka-sensei.' He'd never got out of the habit of addressing him as a teacher -- since technically, Sakura's father _had_ been his university lecturer.

'I'm happy for the two of you.'

'T-thank you, sir.'

'I guess, in a way, those "family heirlooms" are returning to you now,' Fujitaka mused.

Syaoran felt his face go red again. 'Umm ... I didn't -- I mean, I don't ... that's not why ...'

Fujitaka laughed. 'Well, the most precious treasure in my family is going to be in your hands soon. Take care of her.' On that enigmatic note, he patted Syaoran on the shoulder and took his leave. Syaoran's gaze followed; watched as Sakura's father approached her and she hugged him tightly. He bent to whisper something in her ear, something that made her eyes drift to the corner where Syaoran was standing, rose flooding prettily into her cheeks.

'Otou-san!' Her embarrassed cry travelled just far enough to reach his ears. The pair exchanged a few more words, then Sakura kissed her father on the cheek. He touched her hair lightly and disappeared through the ballroom doors.

Meilin bounded up to Sakura, Tomoyo close behind, and the girls hugged. Sakura looked over to Syaoran again, this time mouthing the words, '_Wait for me_.' She turned back to her two friends, laughed merrily with them ... Syaoran saw her eyes brighten at something Meilin said; she threw her arms around his cousin right after. Tomoyo and Meilin both gave her a little push in his direction then, and he immediately suspected that they were setting him and Sakura up again.

Not that he minded -- in fact, if they were responsible for the fact that she was leaving the crowd to the capable pair and coming his way at last, he'd be grateful ... and wary of any lurking video cameras in their vicinity.

'Tomoyo-chan and Meilin-chan said they'd clear up here,' said Sakura happily. 'Wasn't that kind of them?'

'Sure.'

'Which means we can leave first ... come on, I'll walk you home.' She grinned at him, no doubt fully aware that the end result would be the opposite ... or if he was lucky, she might just stay at his place for the night ...

Her brother was still around, though, and while Syaoran knew the man had to know where Sakura sometimes spent the night, he was still less than thrilled with the idea of walking out with her right under Toya's sharp eyes. 'Are you sure? Doesn't your father want you home tonight?'

'He didn't say.' She flushed a little at this, and he wondered again just what her father had said to her.

'Your brother ...'

'Well ...' she gave him a sympathetic look, then suddenly her gaze shifted and the corners of her mouth turned up in amusement. 'Actually, I think onii-chan is going to be busy tonight.'

He turned to look, and sure enough, he caught sight of Yukito leading Toya out the door. Yukito turned to wink at them before he ushered his boyfriend away, and Syaoran understood that there was to be a reprieve from Toya's over-protectiveness for him and Sakura that night. He was also fairly certain his cousin and Tomoyo had dropped Yukito a hint. _Thank you, Meilin and Tomoyo-san!_

Sakura giggled and mouthed, 'Arigatou!' To Syaoran, she said, 'See? Nothing to worry about. Come on, I have something to show you.'

This got his attention sharply. 'Eh? Nani?'

She led him out of the ballroom, pass the reception lounge of the expensive restaurant they'd booked for the occasion -- Tomoyo's doing, rather than either of theirs -- and they emerged through revolving doors into the cool night air.

Then, ignoring the fact that she was in her evening gown and he in his formal suit, she hitched her skirt up past her knees, took his hand, and started to run, dragging him along. Surprised, he stumbled the first few steps before he got his balance and followed her.

'Sakura ...'

She giggled but didn't reply him. They dashed down the centre of Tomoeda town, into the suburban area, through Penguin Park, across the bridge, along a path he rarely trod these days, but had once been familiar to his feet. She was heading for their old school, he realised suddenly.

'Wait, Sakura, why ...'

'Come on,' she said, stopping outside the gates of Tomoeda Elementary. She slid the gate open and slipped inside, beckoning for him to follow. He did so, still confused, and she led him to the wire fence separating their old school from Seijuu High. There, before he could register anything else, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

'Sakura -- mmph ...' He gave in and pressed back against her lips, weaving his arms around her waist to pull her closer. When she finally drew back, breathless with cheeks rosy and lips slightly swollen, she was beaming at him.

'Sakura,' he said slowly, 'not that I'm complaining, but why ...'

'I wanted to do something for you. Because you looked so worried at the party, when Tomoyo-chan was talking about our first meeting.' So she'd noticed. 'It was here, wasn't it? When we first fought over the Clow Cards?'

He looked around. They probably weren't in the exact same spot, but it was indeed by this fence that they'd grappled for the cards that had started it all.

'So I thought if I brought you here, and gave you a different kind of memory, it might make up for that one ...' She looked at him anxiously. 'I'm not making things worse, am I?'

Love for his beautiful fiancée surged through his heart as he clasped her to him again, drawing her head against his chest and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

'No,' he whispered. 'But you didn't have to do this; really ... I was fine ...'

'Iie!' she objected, raising her head and leaning back so that she could look up at him. 'I want Syaoran to be happy, so ...'

He cut her off with a kiss. 'Thank you.'

'You see,' she said after a while, 'it doesn't matter what happened in the beginning. We moved forward from then. And,' she reached for his hand and curled it around hers, 'in front of us is a new beginning now.'

Syaoran's fingers ran over the ring that he had slid onto her fourth finger hardly a week ago. Sakura was right: no matter how it had started, whatever had happened in the past, they were still here, and there was a new future stretching forward ahead of them, a blank slate on which to begin their story together.

* * *

A rough translation of the Japanese words

_Most of this is I got through research and repeated watching of the anime, so I apologise for any mistakes still present!_

**Onii-chan** -- brother

**Gaki** -- brat

**Uun/Iie** -- no (there are different ways to say 'yes' and 'no' in Japanese)

**Aa **-- yes

**Nani?** -- What is it?

**Arigatou **-- thank you

**Ne?** -- Got it?/Right?

**Otou-san** -- father

**Kaijuu** -- monster

**Kampai **-- cheers (when raising glasses in celebration)

**Sensei** -- teacher


End file.
